New Member Questions for Cleveland Clinic Alums

[dj/utvolsfan]

Good Morning! Just wanted to let you know that I will be more than happy to answer any and all of your questions. My memories are fresh in my mind.....and hopefully pumphead will stay away long enough for me to finish my thoughts!
I'll never ever forget being wheeled into the area of the surgical suites prior to surgery and looking up and seeing the most awesome plaque...stating...'you are now entering into the portals that hold the world's best heart surgeons" and I knew in my heart that I was in the best place possible and truer words had not been spoken. It was very comforting to me.
I really like how CCF is laid out....It is such a huge place but I was by myself and not the best with directions and still managed to find my way around without any problems at all. Everything is so well marked and there is absolutely no way of getting lost or disoriented......Not to mention the fact there are those red coated friendly people every two feet more than willing to help you....Come to think about it I might have had a lost little puppy look on my face cause these people would come to me......"Are you ok, mam, do you know where you are going?" As I walked away they were probably saying, Oh, another West Virginian...in the big city for the first time ever!"
DJ
I'm here for you!

 

[PegB]

Marky

Marky

Thanks, you've really given me encouragement now, but I'm afraid after surgery I'm STILL going to be old and out of shape!. Can always dream of it being a symptom though!

 

[AtlantaPat]

Another '06 Cleveland Clinic grad

Another '06 Cleveland Clinic grad

Hi, Peg-

I had my mitral valve repaired at CCF this past April, the same time as Debbi. She got out after five days. I was under the mistaken impression though that I was getting Delta SkyMiles credits for every night I stayed and was in there almost three weeks

Seriously, I can echo what all the other CCF alums have said here. I went through two open heart surgeries in less than a week up there and then proceeded to throw a grocery list of complications at the staff. My cardiologist here in Atlanta described one of them as "way outside the bounds of even what we'd consider 'rare" or 'unexpected'". I mention this not to cause you any concern but to assure you that you'll be in the best possible hands: the way they pulled me through it all is evidence to me that the Heart Center team at The Cleveland Clinic really deserves its top ranking. I saw them earning it!

Pat
__________________
Mitral valve repair 4/5/06
Re-operation on 4/11/06

Surgeon:
Dr. Nicholas Smedira

Cardiologists:
Dr. Donald Hammer
Dr. Mehdi Razavi